Boat steering and driving mechanism



A ril 16, 1940. s Y Z K 2,197,534

BOAT STEERING AND DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Flttur'nags 154111.!ll 1940- s. SZYMCZAK BOAT STEERING AND DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1/1/11, IIIIIIII/ H t1; 1:1 1" n E g '5 T U H E V n I Patented Apr. 16,

s rarer oFFIcE 2,197,534 BOAT STEERING AND DRIVING MECHANISM Stanley Szymczak, Milwaukee, Wis. Application September 29, 1938, Serial No. 232,403

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to propulsion of vessels, and more particularly to a novel combined boat steering and driving mechanism.

One of the primary obJects of my invention is to provide a propelling embodying a plurality of driving propellers,

mechanism for vessels and means for turning the propellers simultaneously in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis and thereby permit the efiicient steering of the vessel by the propellers.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a combined boat propelling and steering mechanism embodying a turntable rotatably carried by the stern of the boat carrying a plurality of propellers and rudders, with novel mechanism for simultaneously driving all of the propellers from a single engine drive shaft. v

A further object of my invention is to provide a turntable carrying a plurality of propellers located in one horizontal plane, and a plurality of propellers located below the first group of propellers and in a difierent. horizontal plane, with means for driving all of the propellers from a common source.

A further important object of my invention is to provide depending rudders carried by the turntable, with propellers rotatably supported on the rudders and movable therewith for effectively bringing about the quick handling of a vessel.

A still further object o f my invention is to generally increase the efiiciency of boat propulsion means whereby to obtain ease in steering and greater speed with less With these and other vention consists in the rangement, and formation of parts, as

consumption of power. objects in view, the innovel construction, ar-

will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed,

and illustrated in the in which drawings:

accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the hull of a boat equipped with novel device, the section being taken subdrive and steering mechanism for of propellers.

the plurality Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but taken on the line 3-3 of Figure tion of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a transverse 1, looking in the direcsectional view through the hull of a boat, illustrating my novel mechanism, the view being ta ken substantially on the line 4-5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, rear elevational View of the hull of a boat equipped with my novel device, the view being on a smaller scale than Figures 1 to l, inclusive.

Figure 6 is a detail, sectional view illustrating a slightly modified formof my invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter B generally indicates the hull of a boat, andM my novel driving and steering mechanism associated therewith.

The boat can be of any preferred size, character, or construction, and, as shown, the bottom of the boat at the stern thereof is cut away to receive my hollow turntable Ill, which forms an important feature of my present device. This turntable is snugly fitted within the bottom. of the boat and is mounted for rotary movement on the bottom around a vertical axis, and the turntable is associated with the hull of the boat in a fluid-tight manner. The turntable is of such a construction as to form a, complete compartment or housing for my novel drive mechanism, which will now be described.

The hollow turntable includes a bottom circular-shaped wall H, an annular side wall l2, and a top wall IS. The top wall 13 is provided with a central opening and is flanged over a stationary cap M. This cap M is rigidly bolted to one or more brackets 15, which are in turn rigidlyfastened to the hull of the boat. Rotatably extending through the cap M at its central axis is a steering post it, and the lower end of the post has formed thereon or anchored thereto a steering plate ll, which is in turn rigidly bolted to a bearing ring l3. This bearing ring [8 is firmly anchored to the bottom wall ll of the hollow turntable, and, consequently, upon rotation of the steering post 16 the turntable will be turned therewith. Any preferred mechanism can be provided for rotating the steering post, and in Figure 1 I have illustrated a dotted-line showing of a steering wheel for bringing about the desired movement of the post.

Referring more particularly to the drive mechanism, it can be seen that the steering post I5 has rotatably mounted thereon a main drive gear I9. This gear is of the crown type and is provided with an upper and lower set of gear teeth 29 and 2! respectively. Rotatably extending into the cap M is the main drive or propeller shaft 22. This propeller shaft may lead from the enhave secured thereto beveled pinions These tunnels gine or motor of the vessel, and the rear end of the shaft has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a drive beveled pinion 23, which meshes with the top row of gear teeth 28 for bringing about the rotation of the main gear 19.

Rotatably carried by the hollow turntable I is a centrally disposed propeller shaft 24 and side propeller shafts 25 and 26. All of these propeller shafts 24, 25, and 26 extend through a slot 21 formed in the stern of the boat, and propellers 28 are securely fastened to the mentioned propeller shafts. The turntable forms means for closing the slot 21, whereby water will be prevented from seeping into the boat. The inner ends of the side propeller shafts 25 and 26 have keyed thereto beveled pinions 28 and 29, which mesh with similar beveled pinions 3B and 3! secured to the outer ends of shafts 32 and 33. These shafts have secured to their inner ends beveled pinions 34, which mesh with a centrally disposed beveled pinion 35 keyed to the stub shaft 38 rotatably mounted in the bearing ring H3. The inner end of the propeller shaft 24 is also rotatably mounted in the bearing ring, and the propeller shaft 26 and the stub shaft 36 have keyed thereto beveled pinions 37 and 38, which continuously mesh with the lower row of teeth 2! of the main drive gear l9. From the description so far, it can be seen that the main drive gear is driven from the engine shaft 22, and that this main drive gear is rotates the propeller shafts 24, 25, and 26 in the same direction.

The ring l8 also rotatably carries stub shafts S9 and 49, and these shafts 39 and 39 likewise 4i and 52, which mesh with the lower row of teeth 2| of the gear 59. The stub shafts 39 and 40 also have keyed thereto beveled pinions 43 and 44, which, in turn, mesh with similar beveled pinions 45 and 4t keyed or otherwise secured to depending vertical shafts ll and 48. These shafts rotatably extend through the bottom wall H of the hollow turntable E0, and into tunnels 59 secured to the bo tom wall of the turntable. are arranged in parallel relation to one another form, in effect, rudders for bringing about the steering of the vessel when the turntable is rotated. These tunnels 59 also have rotatably mounted therein propeller shafts 50, the outer ends of which carry propellers The inner ends of the propeller shafts '50 are connected with the depending vertical shafts 4'1 and 58 through the use of intermeshing beveled gears 52. It will be noted that the propeller shafts 5B are located in a plane below the propeller shafts 24, 25, and 25, but that all of the propeller shafts are synchronously driven in the same direction as the main drive gear l9.

In use of my device, the multiplicity of propellers will bring about the advantageous driving of the boat, and by turning the turntable, the vessel can be quickly steered in one direction or the other. Likewise, the vessel can be quickly turned entirely about.

While in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, I have shown the propeller shafts 50 carried by the tunnel rudders 49, it is to be noted that flat rudders 53 can be secured to the turntable ID, as shown in Figure 6. In this instance, the propeller shafts 50 are mounted in suitable bearings 54 carried by one face of the flat rudders 53.

While I have shown the turntable rotatable by means of a central actuating mechanism, I may in some instances provide a segmental gear upon the periphery of the turntable comprising the parts l2 and #3 for actuating said table.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In a boat driving and steering mechanism, a hollow turntable adapted to be rotatably mounted in the hull of a boat, a bearing ring rigidly secured to the bottom wall of turntable at the axial center thereof, a steering post rigidly secured to the bearing ring extending out of the hollow turntable, means for rotating the post, a plurality of shafts located within the hollow turntable rotatably mounted in the bearing ring, a main drive ring gear rotatably mounted on the steering post, an engine drive shaft for rotating the ring gear, pinions of the shafts meshing with the ring gear, and a plurality of propeller shafts carried by and extending into the turntable and driven from said last mentioned shafts.

2. The combination with the hull of a boat having an opening therein, of a hollow turntable fitted in the opening and rotatably mounted on the hull of the boat, a plurality of propeller shafts carried by the turntable and extending through the rear of the hull and having their inner ends arranged within the hollow turntable, propellers on said shafts, all of said shafts being located in the same horizontal plane, depending, spaced, parallel steering tunnels carried by the bottom of the turntable and arranged below and between the propeller shafts, propeller shafts rotatably mounted in said tunnels, propellers secured to the last mentioned propeller shafts and located'in said tunnels, means located within the hollow turntable for synchronously driving all of the propeller shafts, and means for rotating the turntable on the hull of the boat.

STANLEY SZYIWCZAK. 

